Alibaster McGillicutty

Our teens are older (17 & 15) so we stopped the 4 in a room some time ago but many times we were able to book 2 rooms within $200 of the price of 4 of us in 1 room. One time it was even the same price. Not sure if you can get that lucky on yours.

I know you need 5 (3 & 2) but I thought I would mention because it was very reasonable $ in our situations.

Another note that happened on our recent cruise on the Freedom. I booked online with myself and DS (15) in one room and DW & DD (17) in the other. I tried linking them online but it would not let me do it (it may have been there but I gave up.) When we went to get off in Cozumel, I ended up going out a different plank (gangway) and when I got off my DW & DD were telling me I had to go and get our DS. They wouldn't let him off with DW (his mother) because he was tied to me and only me. I fought through the one-way traffic to get back on, through security and found him. We hopped in line and went back through. Almost missed our excursion. We corrected it at guest services that evening where either of use could get either of the 2 yutes off the boat.

I can see where it is a good rule but we have never run into that before. Now we know......and I wanted you to know too in case you split rooms with a specific adult in each room.

I also recommend self-assist with this suggestion; only pack what you really need. Or better yet, gather the luggage that you know you can carry off by yourself such as 1 roller and a small carry (backpack is always a plus.) Limit yourself to that and ONLY THAT! Leave 1 hand free for S&S card, passport, declarations form, etc.

Then self-assist is a breeze!

Cheers!

Laid back cruisers......that's my kind of cruising. Gonna be on the Freedom on 3/18 so I look forward to not only hearing more but hearing the way you tell it.

We quit taking the kids to Disney World years ago. We told them if they wanted to see a mouse, go look behind the refrigerator.

Cheers!

When I operated sober homes for recovering addicts and alcoholics, every once in a while during drug testing, we would find a resident using a smaller bladder like this to evade having their own urine tested.

 

They would usually use a girlfriend's, urine and the joke amongst my employees was that while Joe's test came back negative for drugs, he was positive for pregnancy.

Reminds me of a joke. Cleaned it up a bit from the original so it is PG-13.

A guy was trying to throw off a test so he mixed his, wife's, daughter's and his dog's.

Dog has worms.....get it to a vet.

Daughter is on drugs.....get her to rehab.

Wife is pregnant but it isn't yours.....get a lawyer.

But the good news is you're clean!

Anyone who wants to buy good alcohol in port to bring back on the ship in hopes of drinking same in cabin or on balcony would be ruining the stuff by pouring it into some polyurethane type container. Probably ruin the container for carrying anything else.

 

However, there are ways to smuggle bottles on board. One way is to just walk on past the liquor table after coming through security. This works well in very busy times. Security doesn't have the time to call out the table and you can blend in with everyone else heading to the elevator or stairs. At worst here they call you out and you surrender your bottle with an "oh geez, I didn't see you", and get it back on departure day. There are other ways too, none requiring pouring into another container.

 

Beer can be done, but is a bit more problematic. But it can be done...trade secret...if I told you the person who has the secret will have to kill both of us.:D:eek:

Did this once after buying some almond tequila at one port. Wasn't planning on doing it but security told us to take it "over to that table" and we said ok. They were so busy that we just walked right by. We weren't trying to smuggle and didn't even open it on the ship.

Do you think the staggered check-in times have reduced the congestion?

Doesn't sound like they were that long to begin with. We've stayed at the Harbor House a few times so we just wheeled our suitcases and never sat in a line of cars before. We are cruising in March 2017 so we are looking at parking at Park N Cruise. Looks like a short enough walk with suitcase in tow.

Cheers

Ali McG

Wow, we skip 2015 and don't take our annual cruise and come back to all this new staggered check-in.....what in the cruising world is going on!

Seriously, I had no idea about this and we just booked a spring break cruise for 2017. We normally book 2 rooms on-line under the same booking but for some reason when I tried to select the 2nd stateroom I received an error, "Quicksell returned no cabins." My workaround was to put my DW and DD in the balcony and myself (DH) and DS in the interior in separate bookings. No big deal right?

Well, DW is Platinum and I am only mere peasant Gold so no priority check-in for the boy and I. This wasn't an issue in the past because we just rode the coattails of wifey/mom and they let us all board VIP style. We couldn't (or didn't know how) to put only minors in a room using on-line so we always booked with DW/DD in one and DH/DS in the other (had extra keys made so we could all go in either.)

I think my solution is to call (which I always try to avoid) to see if they can move the DD to the interior with the DS. Since I am in the balcony with the DW (Platinum) and our kids are in minors (separate room), we should all get VIP check-in......WHEW...that was a lot of typing. Did y'all follow all of that?

Either way, we have another 199 days until we set sail so what is another 30 minutes or so to wait in a line. Kiss the DW goodbye as they check-in VIP and tell her to have a Drink of the Day waiting on me on our aft balcony (first time to have an aft!)

Cheers!

Ali McG

We were not on Grandeur of the Seas (RCCL) when this happened 4-5 years ago but we had the 7 day.....I mean 5 day cruise the week after. Imagine getting on a boat after seeing these pics. Turned out to be one of the best cruises ever. Wife played BINGO on a half-full boat and won upgrade to the owner's suite.

And people wonder why the rest of the world looks down on Americans. Think it has something to do with our superiority complex?

DW, DD (9yo), DS (8yo), and myself have been 3 times. Walk through the main market place and down to the beach without any hassle. Stop by a couple shops to look around and may spend $20-$50 on some of that "junk." Looks more like the real Mexico and I hope my kids don't get their nose stuck too far up in the air to think they shouldn't be subjected to such "filth" as they get older.

Sure people want you to buy their "junk" but at least they aren't calling me on my telephone or coming into my living room on the tv or knocking on my front door selling me a Bass-O-Matic for 3 easy installments of $19.95.

Ali McG

Sounds like there is plenty of parking. My family and I will be on the Fantasy in August and we drive in the day of the cruise. We don't arrive at the terminal until about 1-2PM so I was worried it might be full and that we need a 2nd option. Has anyone ever been turned away because it was full?

Which pier in Cozumel?

I read on this thread they are using Punta Langosta but I read a review from January and it said International. Does it depend on number of ships in town?

Avril,

Will also add you to my list.

 

Karen

If it is not too late, could you add me too? Pleeeeeeeeez!!!!

givemetheremote@hotmail.com

Alibaster

KcFanNindy.....I guess I would be IndyFanNarky. GO COLTS!!

I did see "Smoke Johnson" a.k.a. Tony Stewart win the Chili Bowl last weekend in Tulsa. Dude could drive a washing machine if they put tires and a steering wheel on it. It was his 2nd victory there and it is funny to watch how excited he is after winning a $10,000 race.....like he had just won another $1,000,000. He just wants the trophy.

My only concern is where my room is. We are on the Panorama in #1053. This is an inside right on the end next to the stairs and elevators and is the same level as the pool/waterslide. We don't spend much time in our room and we sleep like rocks because we are so tired but has anyone had any problems with rooms in this area?